The Secret Apprentice
by Muay Thai Demon
Summary: Adopted from pain17ification Unknown to Konoha, Naruto was taken at a young age by a certain Scorpion. Taught in the art of Puppetry, he returned after 5yrs and kept his teachings a secret. Now, years later Master and Student reunite once again and Naruto sheds the false life he fooled others with for the true life he lives as Sasori's Secret Apprentice! Calm/Smart/Puppeteer Naruto
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys it's me Muay Thai Demon and just so you know the first 4 chapters are adopted from pain17ification and I won't make any major changes to any of the chapters. The only changes will be grammatical changes here and there. Also I'll try to keep the same chapter length as him but don't be surprised if there are a few long chapters thrown in. Anyways enjoy the story!**

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the first chapter of "The Secret Apprentice"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own anything except for the story idea

Please vote on my poll for the last two girls for Naruto's harem! The challenge stated that he had to be with Shizune, but I could add up to two more! So, place your votes!

"Speech"

_"__Mental/Distorted"_

_'__Thoughts'_

**"****Bijuu/Techniques"**

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 1: Reunion of Master and Student

Standing atop the surface of the water before a sealed boulder were four people. Two males – one an adult and the other in his mid teens – stood next to two females – an elderly woman and a teenage girl.

The elderly woman was Chiyo of Sunagakure and she was known for both her skills in puppets and in poisons. The adult man was Hatake Kakashi, a Jonin of Konohagakure and sensei of Team 7. The teenage girl was Haruno Sakura, a Chunin and apprentice of Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage.

The last member was Uzumaki Naruto, a Genin of Konoha (though only on paper) and student of both Kakashi and Jiraiya the Toad Sage. He was looking intently at the stone, as if trying to peer through the earthen structure and see inside. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly and his left hand twitched while his right flexed its fingers every couple of seconds.

No one noticed his little quirks due to focusing on preparing strategies against their opponents. One of them was known as Deidara, the Mad Bomber of Iwa, while the other was Sasori, the Scorpion of the Red Sands. Chiyo knew that Sasori would be difficult due to being a prodigal puppeteer while Deidara was not to be underestimated due to being witnessed making a bomb big enough to engulf Suna.

_"__The seals are found and ready to be removed, my Eternal Rival!"_ Gai's voice called out through their wireless radios.

"Copy that, Gai," Kakashi responded before he prepared to remove the seal on the boulder. "Ready on three; one…two…THREE!"

As soon as "three" was called, Kakashi – as well as Team Gai at the other four seal spots – pulled off the seal tag and he leapt out of the way right when Sakura rushed at the boulder and slammed a chakra infused fist into it, reducing it to rubble.

Once the barrier was removed, the four jumped inside the cavern and were met with the sight of Sasori standing next to Deidara, who was seated on top of Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage and now ex-Jinchuriki of the Ichibi.

"About time you made it here, hm," Deidara commented as he rested his chin on his right palm.

Sasori said nothing and just stared down the newcomers. Two people made him stare longer, but he didn't show any outward signs of surprise of recognition.

"Surrender yourselves and release the Kazekage!" ordered Kakashi with his Sharingan eye revealed. Sakura had her fists clenched in preparation and Chiyo's hands twitched slightly. Naruto however stood perfectly still with no signs of preparing for a fight. In fact, Kakashi noticed out of the corner of his eye that his entire posture was that of someone calmly assessing the situation. _'Strange…'_

"Oh boy, they really believe we'll surrender so easily, hm. What do you think, Sasori my man?"

Again, the puppet master said nothing and kept his gaze on the blonde Uzumaki. A growing tension slowly filled the air and both men envisioned different people standing before them. For Sasori, he envisioned a small blonde boy with empty eyes staring at him with a flicker of respect. For Naruto, he envisioned a man in his late teens with red hair and apathetic eyes that looked down to him with acceptance.

Finally, Sasori spoke up. "You've grown…my student."

Everyone, except Naruto and Sasori, looked shocked at the statement. However, the shock deepened when the Uzumaki replied in a much too calm tone, "And you look the same as ever…Shishō (Master)."

The puppeteer chuckled at him, making Naruto give a small smile. "Of all the times we meet again, I didn't think it'd be now. But, I suppose now is as good a time as any."

"I agree… I kept my promise, Shishō."

"Indeed you did. How far have you come along?"

"3 standards, 3 advanced, and 3 human," answered the blonde.

Another chuckle was heard. "Very good… You've done well, my student." He then looked the Uzumaki dead in the eye and declared, "But now…the time has come."

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki's crystal blue eyes darkened with depression and his gaze turned to the ground in front of him. "Hai…it is."

Sasori moved forward slightly so that he stood in front of Deidara while Naruto did the same for his side. Kakashi scowled at this and reprimanded, "Naruto, what are you doing?! He's an S-Rank criminal _and_ a member of Akatsuki! You can't face him alone!"

"It doesn't matter what you _think_ he is, Kakashi," Naruto replied calmly. "All that matters is what I _know_ he is; and what he is to me is my first teacher, master, and guardian. He was the one…who pulled me out of my own darkness."

[Flashback (Naruto Age 5)]

A blonde child wearing nothing more than a tattered black shirt and brown shorts that needed to be tied with a worn out rope was seen seated in the rain inside of a cardboard box. The rain pelted against the weak shelter like kunai rains down on a battalion.

Dead were his eyes, dirty was his skin, and empty was his heart. He was the spawn, the demon, the monster…the Kyuubi reborn.

The "roof" of his shelter finally gave way, allowing the rain to strike him mercilessly. He didn't care, for he had long since accepted his fate as an affront to nature.

Footsteps were heard on the flooded streets, each footfall creating a splash in its wake. He didn't bother to look up when the sandaled feet of the passerby stopped in front of him.

A soft male voice broke through the rain. "Such defeat… You have nothing and no one, don't you?"

This time, Naruto did look and he saw a man standing before him. His messy red hair was being soaked by the downpour while his brown eyes stared at him with not an ounce of pity, loathing, or concern. In fact, when he focused on them, the little blonde saw a small glint of curiosity in the brown orbs staring down at him.

"Tell me… What would you give to have a purpose?"

"…Anything," answered the Uzumaki.

"Even your soul; your freedom?"

"…Yes."

The man nodded and pulled out a scroll. From it, he unsealed an adult sized cloak and tossed it to the boy. "Then surrender your freedom to me and follow. I will give you purpose, but only if you can prove your value."

The blonde's dead stare met the redhead's apathetic one, locking onto it for practically a lifetime before he nodded and covered himself in the cloak. The man did nothing except turn and make his way out of Konoha's gates with Naruto in step behind him.

Konoha wouldn't see the boy for over five years.

[Present Time]

"From then on, I was taught in the ways of puppets by Sasori for around four years. Every day was spent in educating me in the workings, the usage, and the potential of the puppet arts. After the four years had passed, he took me back to Konoha with one last lesson…"

"…To a ninja – especially a puppeteer – deception is your greatest weapon," finished the scorpion.

"I don't believe it," whispered Chiyo in surprise. "You actually helped another; but why?"

"His potential was as clear as day. Of course, teaching him control was the biggest issue due to him being a vessel, but he proved that no obstacle could keep him from his goal. He is the best student I ever took…and the _only_ one I will ever acknowledge as my potential equal."

Stunned silence ruled the cavern while Naruto bit his left thumb and wiped it on a seal behind his neck, unsealing a scroll that he caught with his right hand. Opening it slightly, he spread blood over another seal and engulfed his form in a plume of smoke.

When it cleared, a towering figure stood behind the blonde. Easily reaching 7ft, it took the form of a humanoid figure donned in chain mail armor, a blood red cape with a black furred trim, and a steel crown with two of its six prongs broken. Strapped to its left arm was a crescent shaped shield while a battle axe with a 4ft blade was strapped to its back and a small sword was strapped to its waist.

"You still kept that one; after all these years?" questioned Sasori.

"Of course… It was the first one I ever made; the Forsaken King," answered the blonde while blue chakra strings appeared from his left hand and attached to the puppet. "Shall we, Shishō?"

He nodded before he turned to his partner. "Deidara, stay out of this. This is the final test for my apprentice; the one that will show if he has surpassed me."

The blonde bomber chuckled and raised his arms in a shrugging way. "Whatever you say, hm."

"Kakashi, Sakura, Chiyo…stay out of the way," ordered the Uzumaki.

"But Naruto-!" started the pinkette, but she was cut off by Chiyo.

"Of course… This means more than any other fight, doesn't it?" asked the elder, which the blonde nodded to. "Then we won't interfere."

"Lady Chiyo!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.

"That's enough, Sakura," Kakashi declared. "This is Naruto's fight… To interfere would be the biggest insult to him."

Sakura looked like she wanted to argue, but one glare from Naruto stopped her cold. The glare was the first time she had ever seen him angry with her, and it scared her. Giving up her attempts to stop him, she just nodded and the Uzumaki twitched his left hand.

The King rushed forward, its right arm grasping the axe on its back while the left raised the shield before it to lead its charge. Sasori responded by launching his scorpion like tail, but the shield batted it aside while the axe came swinging in for a strike. The scorpion leapt aside and pointed its mouth at Naruto before dozens of senbon shot out from it.

Acting quickly, Naruto rolled out of the way while flexing his left fingers, making the King open its own mouth and fire three smoke bombs. The smoke blanketed the cavern, lowering visibility down to practically nothing. Kakashi's Sharingan peered through it with ease due to its ability to see chakra, but he didn't speak. He said he wouldn't interfere, and he'd keep his word.

Naruto curled his pinky and pointer fingers while his middle and ring moved up and down rapidly and his thumb rolled clockwise. The result was the King gripping its axe with both hands, but then the arms split down the middles, separating them into four separate limbs. The top two arms gripped the axe while the bottom left held the shield and the bottom right grabbed the sword.

"Going all out, Naruto?" questioned Sasori.

"To do otherwise would be insulting, Shishō," retorted the blonde before he sent the King after the scorpion. It began to spin with its run, using the momentum to swing its weapons and shield in a flurrying way. Sasori's tail rapidly moved to block as many strikes as it could, but one final swing of the axe cut through the tail, sending the tip about 8ft from their position.

Giving no time to react, Naruto had the King thrust its sword straight through Sasori's head right between the eyes. Instead of skin and blood though, it was wood and splinters. Naruto scowled slightly before he had the King bring down its axe to split Sasori in two.

However, a blur shot out from under the scorpion before the axe struck, revealing the redheaded visage of Sasori's real body. He smirked at the blonde and praised, "Excellent work… You managed to destroy Hiruko – an advanced puppet – with a standard puppet." He then pulled out a blue scroll and unsealed its contents. From the smoke, his voice called out, "I suppose it's time I used my favorite puppet."

Deidara smirked and commented, "Pulling out _that_ one, huh? This is getting good, hm."

The puppet draped over Sasori's shoulders had dark blue hair that framed its face with long bangs, yellow eyes, and a grayish brown cloak.

Chiyo gasped at the sight and whispered, "The Sandaime Kazekage… So, you were the one who killed him."

"Of course," answered the redhead. "He put up an entertaining fight, but I still took him down in the end before I made him my prized puppet."

Naruto had the King fall back and withdraw its weapons before he asked, "Is this the second part?"

"Yes… This will be a fight with human puppets. Bring out your choice, Naruto."

The blonde nodded before he lowered the collar of his shirt down to his chest and wiped blood over a seal on his heart. From the red scroll that appeared, he unsealed his human puppet. The puppet was that of a woman with long crimson hair that fell to her knees, violet eyes, and two swords strapped to her waist; a ninjato and a katana. She was dressed in a standard Konoha Jonin uniform.

Kakashi froze at the sight and stuttered out, "K-Kushina-sama?!"

Naruto gave him a sidelong look with narrowed eyes. "So, you knew my mother but never told me… I knew you were hiding something from me."

"Your mother?" asked Sakura in surprise.

"Yes, my mother; Uzumaki Kushina," answered the blonde. He then had her step forward while drawing out her swords; the ninjato held in a reverse grip in her left hand while the right hand held the katana blade down.

Sasori just nodded at his apprentice before he had the Kazekage open its mouth and spill black sand all around the redhead on the floor. "I hope you're prepared to have your mother be lost to you, Naruto."

"That won't happen, Shishō. Kaa-san and I have been preparing for this…for a _long_ time."

"I see… Then let us delay no longer!" cried the scorpion before he had the Kazekage shape the black sand into kunai shaped projectiles and fired them.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and channeled chakra through his strings and into the swords held by Kushina. Seals lit up near the tips of the blades before both swords were engulfed in flame. With various flexes of his fingers, Naruto controlled Kushina into blocking every projectile with blurred strikes. The heat from the swords hardened the black sand into solid shapes, showing that the sand was in actuality grains of iron.

"I told you Shishō," Naruto began before he channeled chakra into Kushina and had her emit chains of solidified chakra from her torso and launched them at the Kazekage.

Sasori kept his eye on the chains, moving his puppet out of the way of their quick strikes. Because of this, he was unaware of Naruto blurring away in a burst of speed until he saw his blonde apprentice above the Kazekage with a **Rasengan** in his right hand and chakra strings in his left. He thrust the sphere directly into the Kazekage's back, bringing it down to the ground and destroying it before he used his left hand to have Kushina race toward Sasori.

"I was prepared for this day!" finished the blonde as Kushina made to slice Sasori apart.

Unfortunately, Sasori stopped her when two blades ripped out from behind him and clashed with her swords. Naruto cursed as he disengaged the flames from the swords when he struck with the **Rasengan**.

"Most impressive…" he commented. "You actually got the drop on me and forced me to use…_myself_," he finished before he kicked Kushina away from him and ripped off the rest of his cloak. With nothing to cover his upper body, it was revealed that he had become a living puppet with a container that had the kanji for "scorpion" where his heart would be. He stood atop a cable that was stabbed into the ground and elevated his form slightly.

"Sasori… What have you become?" muttered Chiyo sadly while Kakashi and Sakura looked on in shock.

"The kid's pretty good, hm," Deidara commented with a smirk. "He actually forced you to use your own body."

"Deidara," Sasori began without looking at him, "leave now and report back to Leader-sama." He then removed his ring and tossed it to the blonde bomber. "Take that with you. No matter what happens now, I won't be coming back."

The Iwa Nuke-Nin nodded and created a large clay bird for him to ride away on. "We may have been at each other's throats, but it was still a good run, Sasori my man. I could even call it…a blast," he stated before he rode off.

"Sakura, we can't let him escape!" Kakashi declared before he and the pinkette rushed after the Mad Bomber.

Chiyo stayed, eyes focused on the battle between Master and Apprentice. Sasori pulled out one of the scrolls strapped to his back and grinned before he unleashed the contents. From it, one hundred puppets came forth, each connected to a charka string that connected to Sasori's core.

"Welcome to Hell; **Akahigi: Hyakki no Sōen **(Red Secret Technique: Performance of 100 Puppets)!" cried the human puppet before he sent them at the blonde.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at the technique and he quickly resealed his mother before his hands formed the seal that he was known for at home. "**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** (Multi Shadow Clone)!" he roared.

From the smoke he created from the jutsu, one hundred clones appeared and took on every single one of Sasori's puppets. The real Naruto hid behind a rock and unsealed another of his standard puppets. The puppet was feminine in figure with long dark blue hair and green eyes. She was dressed in an outfit similar to a Feudal Era Priestess with a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. This puppet was known as Miko (Priestess).

Channeling chakra into his eyes and the seals placed on the eyes of Miko, Naruto's eyes flashed blue and he took in the sight from the point of view of his puppet. Intricately weaving his hands, he had Miko pull out her bow and an arrow with a seal on the tip that had the kanji for "Shock" on it. He had her draw the bowstring back, and she took aim at Sasori, who was dodging the clones while firing both flamethrowers and jets of water at them in retaliation.

"Just one shot," he murmured as he used the shared vision with his puppet to aim at Sasori's "heart". He finally saw the redhead turn and expose his chest before he declared, "There!"

Miko released the arrow, and it flew through the chaos created by Naruto's clones before it struck Sasori…but it missed the heart by inches.

Naruto quickly raised a half ram seal and initiated the seal on the arrow, sending a high level of electrical voltage into Sasori. Stray sparks and bolts hit his "heart", making him jerk and recoil in pain. He looked up just in time to see his apprentice take him down and pin him with his left hand on his chest and his right holding a kunai to his heart.

"It's over, Shishō," he muttered as Chiyo slowly approached them.

The redhead, too weak to escape, merely chuckled and stared up to the ceiling of the cave. "Indeed it is, my student." He then turned to him and gave a small smile with a nod. "You have won… You have surpassed me in the ways of puppets and deception. I'm proud to call you…my better, Naruto."

Despite himself, Naruto couldn't stop his eyes from forming tears at the corners. "I wanted to hear you say that….for a long time…Sasori." He then moved away from the downed human puppet with his expression growing more somber. "You're dying," he stated.

"Indeed… The shocks from your arrow overworked my heart. I probably have minutes at best, so I'll make them count. Firstly, I was supposed to meet my spy against Orochimaru one week from now at the Tenchi Bridge. There, you can learn what he's up to for the future and find out about the Uchiha that went to him."

Naruto nodded, committing the info to memory while listening to his Master's final words.

"Next, when I finally pass, I want you to take my puppet body. Keep my legacy alive and use me to aid you. Call it my last gift for my apprentice."

The Uzumaki gave another nod, but this was accompanied with a sad smile.

"Lastly, I feel that you should know this since I never believed it until now," he stated before he looked his student dead in the eye. "I never once thought I'd find comfort with another human when I made myself a puppet... But, I realized that I found that comfort when I took you with me and made you my apprentice. I'm…glad that I met you, Naruto... You made me feel joy after living a life of pain; not in the likeliness of a teacher instructing a student, but...in the way of a father passing on his works to his son... I thank you for helping me feel 'human' again…"

Tears spilt from Naruto's eyes as he fell to his knees and bowed to his Master. "No, Shishō… I should be thanking _you_. You gave me purpose and saved me from my own despair… You taught me, raised me, and made me the man I am today… I just wish we could have more time together…tou-san."

The scorpion merely smiled and looked back up to the ceiling. "We'll have that time…when our souls meet again in the next life. After all, art is everlasting…and what's more _everlasting_ than the soul?"

Naruto nodded to him and watched as the man slowly stopped moving and passed away. His eyes clenched tightly before he gently removed his Master's "heart" and sealed it into a scroll followed by the puppet body into a separate one.

"In all the years I knew my grandson, I never saw him show that much care for another person…" Chiyo commented, making Naruto turn to her. "You truly must have been something in his eyes, Naruto-san… And I think that I'm starting to see it."

He nodded to the elder in thanks before he moved to Gaara's body. He looked down sadly at the redhead; the one he could truly call brother. Of all the things his "happy" self experienced, the fight and experiences with Gaara were the most real.

Chiyo followed his gaze and frowned in thought before she went through handseals and began to send chakra into Gaara. Without bothering to see Naruto's confused look, she explained, "I may have been the one the place the Ichibi within him, but that doesn't mean I can't make up for it. After all, compared to his life, my life isn't worth all that much."

Naruto silently watched before he kneeled next to her and began to add his own chakra into her technique. He lost a father figure already…so, he wasn't gonna lose a brother as well.

[Timeskip: a few hours later]

Naruto stood atop a stone hill on the walls surrounding Sunagakure where a tombstone was placed. On its face was the epitaph "Here lies Sasori; a teacher, a grandson, and a father to one who nearly gave up. May his soul be as eternal as his puppet art."

Naruto bowed to the stone and declared, "I suppose this is goodbye for now, tou-san… I'll never forget all that you did for me, taught to me, and showed me. And I promise to keep your legacy alive. I'll live my life as Uzumaki Naruto; the Maelstrom of the Red Sands."

With one last look, he left the grave site, never taking notice of the setting sun hitting it just right so that it glowed with a mix of red and orange hues.

(End Chapter)

There we are; chapter 1! Hopefully it came out well enough for you guys!

Now, I already have my full list of Puppets for Naruto; so I won't take any requests. However, I still need help deciding on the last two girls for Naruto, so please vote guys!

Next Time: Revelations and the meeting at the Tenchi Bridge!

pain17ification

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time!**

**Sayonara!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "The Secret Apprentice"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own anything except for the story idea

Alright, the results of the poll were Konan and Samui being the last two girls. HOWEVER, I wanna try something different. I already have a story where Konan will be a pairing in the future (Naruto of the Dead), so I am gonna place a poll concerning her replacement! The choices will be the females that rarely are seen with Naruto (as far as I've read)!

The result of the poll will be announced in chapter 3!

By the way, I'd like to thank both **Jebest4871** and **dregus** for helping me out with ideas for this story! You guys rock and you readers should check out the stories by **dregus** (**Jebest4781** don't write; he just helps out)!

"Speech"

_"__Mental/Distorted"_

_'__Thoughts'_

**"****Bijuu/Techniques"**

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 2: Truthful Consequences

The next morning, Naruto was seen standing in Gaara's office with the redhead giving him an even stare. Calm green eyes met apathetic blue that held a hint of happiness in them before the Godaime Kazekage spoke.

"You do understand that many people will have trouble adjusting to this change of yours, right Uzumaki?"

The blonde merely closed his eyes with a small smirk on his face reminiscent of his deceased master. "You make it sound like I'm _becoming_ what I am now. Rest assured Gaara…this is me _ceasing_ my act. For too long I've lived under the guise of a naïve child, hiding away my true abilities and experiences under Sasori; but no more. It's time I showed my true nature to the world since the promise to my old master is now void with his passing."

"I see… Tell me something though; was what you told me when we fought your mask…or the real you?"

Naruto just kept his smirk and made to leave the office. Once he opened the door, he looked back over his shoulder and asked, "What do _you_ think?"

As soon as his office door closed, Gaara let a small smile grace his face. "I knew it…"

With the blonde puppeteer, he was walking down one of the many roads of Sunagakure with his hands in his pockets and a large scroll on his back. Since he decided to stop lying to the world, he unsealed all of the scrolls that held his puppets – 11 in total with the addition of Hiruko and Sasori – and placed them all in a scroll that was on par in size with the one Jiraiya always wore.

"Naruto!" called out a voice, making him turn and see Temari trying to flag him down. He stopped walking to let her catch up. "I'm glad I found you before you and your team left. I wanted to thank you for saving Gaara."

"No thanks are needed, Temari. Gaara's my friend and my brother, so I'd save him even if you didn't ask me to."

She nodded with a small smile before her gaze turned serious. "Is what Sakura told me true?"

His face became blank at the question. "About Sasori being my old master?" She nodded. "It's true…"

To his surprise, she chuckled lightly. "Quite the surprise when I heard her practically yelling about it to me. I think you may have broken her during the rescue." Her face formed a teasing grin before she asked, "Think you'd be able to fix her, oh great puppet master?"

"I'm afraid that she's _far_ beyond fixing," he replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand before the two chuckled at the joke. "Does Kankuro know?"

"Not yet; why?"

"I honestly don't feel like getting hounded by him for details on Sasori-sensei's teachings or secrets," he answered with an annoyed expression, making her laugh at his face.

"I make no promises about not telling him, Whiskers," she stated as she bid him goodbye and headed to Gaara's office.

Naruto merely waved lightly to her as she left before he resumed his walk to the hotel his team and Team Gai were staying at. They left for Konoha in about an hour, so he wanted to be ready to go. One of the things he inherited from his master was his utter hatred for making others wait and being _kept_ waiting. It was one of the main reasons why he actually screamed at Kakashi alongside Sakura when they were younger.

He entered the room he shared with Team 7 and was met with an awkward air in the room. It was obvious that they were still trying to figure out who Naruto really was now that he dropped his old mask. Sighing softly, he said nothing and prepared his backpack to leave, aware of the stares he was receiving from Kakashi and Sakura.

_'__Kami-sama, I hope we leave soon,'_ he mentally groaned.

[Timeskip: Departure Time (Suna's Main Entrance)]

The group of eight Konoha shinobi stood in front of the Suna Trio to say their farewells. The Jonin – Neji included – bowed respectfully while Lee cried "manly tears" about coming back for another "youthful visit" and the kunoichi merely nodded goodbye.

Naruto stepped forward and held out his hand to Gaara, which was taken almost immediately, and the two shook their hands in farewell. "I hope that your next trip here will be on better terms, Uzumaki."

"Same here, Gaara. I'll send you a message concerning what we talked about when I get settled back home," replied the blonde, making the redhead nod with a faint smile.

Temari gave her fellow blonde a hug goodbye while Kankuro shook his hand. He then gained a slightly pleading look and was about to speak before he was elbowed in the gut by his sister who gave him a stern look. A cloud of depression formed over his head while Naruto followed after his team with a light chuckle.

About a half hour of walking later, Kakashi gave his blonde student a sidelong glance. The blonde merely kept his gaze on the path before him while he walked with his hands in his pockets. "Naruto," he began, getting the Uzumaki to give him a bored look in acknowledgment, "you do realize that Tsunade-sama will need to know about this…_revelation_ of yours, right?"

"It crossed my mind, yes," he answered calmly, making the silver haired Jonin sigh. Honestly, the blonde sounded way too much like the deceased Akatsuki member that it was slightly scary.

"I still can't believe you never told us or trusted us with this, Naruto. We're your teammates! You have to be able to trust us!" Sakura declared with a hurt look.

Naruto's blank gaze fell on her for the briefest of moments before he shrugged and refocused on the desert. "Whether or not I _have_ to trust you is irrelevant. I made a promise and I followed through with it. My promises are taken with the upmost care, Sakura."

She still looked hurt, but she reluctantly let it go since he had shown many times that he kept his promises to the letter. However, the pinkette was surprised to see Tenten suddenly stop in her tracks and turn to Naruto in surprise. "Wait a minute…" she murmured.

Naruto met her gaze calmly before his lips quirked in a small smirk, making her eyes widen.

"You spoke…smart like!" she exclaimed.

"Yes…" he drawled out with his smirk growing slightly. "I finally woke up, Tenten."

He then surprised the others when he used his fingers to plug his ears. However, their surprise was cut short with Tenten's arms stretching over her head in excitement and a cry of, "FINALLY!"

Their ears rang at the sheer volume of her excited exclamation while Naruto unplugged his ears with a content sigh. "I take it you're relieved?" he asked.

"What do you think?!" she asked with a grin before she pulled him in a headlock and rubbed his head affectionately. "I was wondering if you'd _ever_ show your real self again, little brother!"

"Brother?" asked the others collectively.

"Tenten, would you care to explain?" asked Kakashi with a curious glance at her actions toward Naruto.

The weapon specialist let go of the blonde and shrugged. "Nothing much to explain, really… I found him practicing with his chakra strings a few years ago and saw that he was using them with kunai to throw them in multiple directions. I was interested and revealed myself to him, which nearly got me killed by the way," she stated while giving a deadpan look at Naruto who shrugged without any sign of regret or guilt.

"You surprised me," he defended. "You really think it was wise to sneak up on someone who obviously had a grasp on their chakra?"

She stuck her tongue out at him childishly in response, making him chuckle lightly. "Anyway, after I explained why I was there, he flat out told me no. I ended up following him for a few days asking him constantly to teach me, but he refused every time. It got to the point that I ended up visiting him now and then without even asking him to teach me and I saw him work on a puppet occasionally. It was then that I came up with a deal for him; he teaches me the chakra strings and I let him use my forge to work in private and I supply his puppets with weapons. I was also sworn into secrecy in regards to his skills in exchange for him making me a few high grade seals."

"So…you hid your true strength all along?" Neji questioned the blonde with a raised brow.

"I did," he admitted. "But it was all for the sake of keeping a promise to my now deceased teacher. The Naruto you think you know was just an act; a façade to keep everyone else in the dark about my skills. Only a few of my experiences were truly me and not an act."

"And those were…?" Kakashi asked with a slight narrowing of his eye.

"I plan to tell Tsunade everything when we get back," stated the blonde. "You can all hear about it then."

Annoyed but seeing that trying to force him to tell would be counterproductive, the Jonin just nodded with a sigh as the two teams kept heading for Konoha.

[Tsunade's Office (A couple of days later)]

"Teams 7 and 9 reporting in, Hokage-sama," saluted Kakashi as he stood in front of her desk with the others.

The blonde Senju looked up from her paperwork while her assistant, Shizune, stood to the side with her pet pig, Tonton, ever present in her arms. She gave them all a narrowed gaze, but it lingered on a certain fellow blonde's the most. What surprised her was the look of pure calm under her piercing stare, but it only proved what was sent to her hours before by Kakashi's summon dog, Pakkun.

"I'm impressed with your success on the mission. I had thought the Kazekage was passed, but I received a scroll detailing his gratitude toward Konoha for his safe return." She raised a brow to the Copy-Nin and asked, "He _was_ dead, right?"

"Hai, but Elder Chiyo used a sacrificial jutsu to exchange the remainder of her life to bring back the Kazekage. She was buried honorably upon our return to Suna."

"I see," replied the Godaime with her gaze lowered. "I'm sure her passing was hard for many. However, we must not linger on the past and focus on the now. You're all dismissed except for you, brat," she said, pointing at the Uzumaki. "I'd like a word with you."

Once the others left – some more reluctant than others – Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and relaxed his stance slightly. "I take it you have questions about what happened on the mission."

"Of course I do!" she yelled. "How could you keep something like _that_ a secret for so long?! Sasori was an S-Rank criminal and you were _taught_ by the man! Do you realize how important that information could've been to Konoha?"

She was surprised when he glared at her so coldly that his blue eyes looked to be made of pure ice. Shizune unconsciously shivered in fright at the glare and almost took a step back. The blonde noticed this and lessened his stare slightly. There was no sense in projecting his anger at her when she did nothing wrong.

"I will not betray the man who pulled me out of my own despair for 'the good of the village'," he stated in a deathly calm tone. "As for lying to everyone; I made a promise to him when he returned me to the Leaf. I don't know about _you_, Tsunade, but I take my promises seriously; more so than anything else. And besides, Konoha would've just abused his teachings and tossed me aside. You know this since they've done it for as long as I can remember."

She cringed slightly at the truth of his words. If the Council got word of his tutelage under Sasori, they'd have him give them everything he learned before they cast him aside after his usefulness was over. "You still could've trusted some people with it. You can trust me, Naruto?"

He scoffed, making her narrow her eyes. "Oh sure, trust the woman who had to be convinced to return to her home to fulfill her duty as a medic and had almost given into the silver tongue of that snake, Orochimaru."

"Watch it, brat," she warned.

"Why, because you can't handle the truth? Honestly, Tsunade, who in this village would you trust if you were in my shoes?"

"My teammates," was the immediate answer, but even Shizune gave a disbelieving look at that.

"Yea, my team… You mean the one consisting of a lazy man who taught us nothing, an emotionally unstable survivor of the Uchiha Massacre, and a girl whose sole reason for even _joining_ the ninja core was said survivor?" asked the Uzumaki with his tone practically bathed in sarcasm.

The Senju frowned at his words, but she stayed silent since she couldn't argue. "What about my sensei?"

"Why should I trust the man who lied about my own burden and never told me who my parents were?"

"Y-You know?!" asked a shocked Tsunade, making him glare at her in growing rage.

"You knew too, huh? Who else knew; Jiraiya; the Jonin; the _entire_ village?!" he roared at her, making her cringe. "You expect me to _trust_ you when you yourself have kept secrets from me; secrets _about_ me! Well you know what? You can all go to hell like every other fucking hypocrite in this worthless place!"

With his anger driving him, he turned and left the office, slamming the door so hard that every picture frame fell off of its hangings and to the floor. Tsunade looked down with regret swimming in her eyes while Shizune kept staring at the door sadly. Gently placing Tonton down on the couch in the office, she hurried after the blonde puppeteer in hopes of trying to calm him down.

She caught up to him when he made his way to one of the training fields. "Naruto-kun, wait!" she called out, making him turn to her with his glare still present.

"What do you want?" he asked lowly. "I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone, so hurry up and say what you want."

She faltered slightly before standing strong under his gaze. "I want you to know that there are some people who never lied to you and trust you, Naruto-kun. There are some people you _can _trust…"

"And who would those people be, Shizune? Who in this entire village has never lied to the Bane of Konoha?" he asked bitterly.

"…Well, _I_ have never lied to you," she answered in a soft tone. "I didn't know who your parents were either, so it came as much of a surprise to me when you called Tsunade-sama out on keeping the truth from you." She slowly approached him, pleased that he didn't make any motions that would push her away. "You can trust me, Naruto-kun."

He turned away from her, and she knew it was his anger still in control which brought a look of sadness to her face. "How do I know you aren't lying to me now? How do I know that I can trust you?" He then sighed in a way that reminded Shizune of someone _far_ older than Naruto should be. He looked to her and the woman's eyes saddened further at the almost dead look in his blue orbs. "How can I trust anyone when they always let me down in the end? The only person I ever trusted is dead," his eyes began to tear up and he choked out, "and it's all my fault… I'm responsible for his death. I killed the only person who _ever_ saw me as his son…"

He fell to his knees in pure sadness and released his tears, prompting Shizune to quickly wrap her arms around him and hold him close, tears of her own threatening to spill. _'So that was why he got so angry… He's not entirely mad at Tsunade-sama's accusations, and his real pain is knowing that he killed his own teacher and father figure for the sake of duty… Naruto-kun, I can't even begin to imagine the pain you must be feeling right now.'_

For an unknown period of time, she just held him close and let him release his sadness while whispering words of comfort into his ear. He slowly calmed down, but he didn't move from her embrace. He felt safe with her.

Still being held by her, he looked up into Shizune's eyes showing the vulnerability in his own. "…You swear that you've never lied to me, and that you never will?" he asked in a quiet tone.

She gave him a kind smile and nodded. "I promise you that I never have, and never will, lie to you or betray your trust, Naruto-kun."

For an agonizing five minutes, his blue orbs stared deep into her black ones before he slowly nodded. "I…believe you, Shizune-chan," he said as a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

She smiled back and gave him one last squeeze before she let him go and helped him to his feet. "I'm glad to hear that, Naruto-kun. Just remember that you can talk to me any time, and about anything." When he nodded, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it. "Don't give up on others just yet, Naruto-kun. Now, I should return back to Tsunade-sama since she probably hasn't touched another sheet of paperwork since I left. Be sure to come by later and at least try to reconcile with her. Could you do that for me?"

He looked unsure, but the pleading look in her eyes withered away any chance of denial and he simply nodded in affirmative, making her smile.

"Good… I'll be there also to make sure things go alright." She then surprised both him _and_ herself when she leaned in and kissed him lightly on his cheek. "I'll be waiting, Naruto-kun," she stated before she left in a **Shunshin** (Body Flicker), leaving a blushing Naruto alone in the training field with a hand shakily touching his cheek.

"S-She just…just _kissed_ me," he whispered as his blush deepened and he hurried off to his home.

Back with Shizune, she wasn't fairing any better and arrived at the Hokage Tower with a red face. _'I can't believe I just did that… I kissed him! I mean, it was on the cheek, but I still kissed him!'_

_'__And what's so bad about that?'_ questioned a voice just like hers.

_'__He's practically my little brother! I can't just up and kiss him!'_

_'__Why not? You and I both know that you've always had a soft spot for Naruto-kun. What's so wrong with showing that you care for him?'_

_'__B-But-'_

_'__Listen, you care for him, right?'_

_'__Of course I do!'_

_'__And you hate seeing him sad like he was earlier, right?'_

She internally frowned at the thought of him so down. _'I don't think I could ever handle seeing like that again…'_

_'__Of course you couldn't, and you want to know why?'_

_'__Why?'_

_'__Because, deep down and unknown to you, you love him…'_

Shizune froze in her tracks, unknowingly in the doorway to Tsunade's office as she held the knob in her hands. The Godaime looked up from her desk and raised a brow at the look of shock on her assistant's face as she gazed at nothing in particular.

"Shizune…?" she asked in confusion.

The poor woman was too far gone to have heard her as she still registered what the deeper part of her mind told her. _'I…I love Naruto-kun…?'_

_'__Of course you do… He's brave, strong, loyal, and he trusts you above everyone else. For Kami-sama's sake, he literally fell apart in your arms but was able to get back up because you were there for him! Face it girl; you want him.'_

_'__B-But he's so much younger than I am!'_

_'__Age is but a number… How long are you going to lie to yourself and keep from being with Naruto-kun?'_

Shizune's answer was left silent when Tsunade snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Shizune, you're spacing out! Wake up!"

"Huh, what?" questioned the woman as she snapped back into focus. She took a look at her surroundings and tilted her head slightly in confusion. "How'd I get here? I thought I was still at the entrance?"

"You spaced out for some time," explained the Senju with a critical gaze on her assistant, her medical training kicking in. "Do you remember what it was?"

To the Godaime's surprise, Shizune averted her gaze with a faint blush. "Well, it was something…personal."

"Is that right?" asked Tsunade as a small grin made its way to her face. "Thinking about someone special, eh?"

"I don't know… I'm confused about what to do."

"Well, if you need to talk to someone, I'm here. But for now, I need your help with this infuriating paperwork."

Shizune gave a wistful smile and shook her head in amusement. "Hai Shishō."

[The Next Day (Hokage Office)]

Naruto stood before Tsunade and Shizune once again, but Jiraiya was there as well per Tsunade's request. "So, Sasori was supposed to meet one of his spies for Orochimaru in less than a week at the Tenchi Bridge… Do you know who this spy would be, Naruto?" asked Tsunade carefully, not wanting to upset the blonde again. After he left her office yesterday, she went over their discussion and she couldn't fault him for his outburst or his feelings toward the village. If she were in his shoes, she'd most likely feel the same.

So, she made a promise to herself to make it up to him by showing him that he could trust her.

Jiraiya, having been told about Naruto's revelation before the blonde arrived, was unsure on what to do. Sasori was said to have a spy network that could easily rival his own and he feared that the teen could've given Sasori some secrets pertaining to Konoha. He also felt ashamed that he couldn't be there for Naruto and it hurt him to learn that the blonde found comfort learning from Suna's worst criminal and even learned from him.

The boy even called the Kage Killer "Master", something reserved for teachers that are respected above all else. If Sasori was his "Master", then what was the point of accepting his offer to become an apprentice to the Toad Sage?

Shizune was conflicted as she looked at the whiskered Uzumaki. The deeper part of her mind wouldn't keep quiet about how she was lying to herself about not loving him anymore than that of a sister loving her brother.

However, Shizune couldn't help but think back on all of the times she spent with the blonde. None of those moments were all that special, but it was remembering how his eyes looked when he was with her. Instead of the pain and loneliness she saw when she first met him with Jiraiya, she saw slight comfort and content. The deeper part of her mind told her that she was the only one who noticed since no one else said anything about it; either that or no one cared enough for him to notice and she did.

"That should be Yakushi Kabuto. I met him when I was about 7yrs old and Sasori-Shishō took me to visit his spy network. As far as I know, Kabuto should feel the effects of the elixir Sasori gave him years ago soon and remember about the meeting. He'll be expecting Sasori to be there in his Hiruko puppet," answered Naruto with a calm stare; something Shizune mentally sighed in relief about. It wouldn't do to have him get angry about this.

"Which means that we'll need to make one and have someone pose as Sasori to fool Kabuto," Jiraiya mused with his hand on his chin.

"Not necessarily," interjected the Uzumaki. "I have the remains of Hiruko and plan to restore it while adding a few personal touches. Once I'm done, I'll be able to pose as Shishō and question Kabuto. Even if my cover is blown, I could always say that I'm taking over Sasori's network." He then added mentally, _'Which I plan to do anyway… I suppose I need to make a few trips soon.'_

"I can't allow you to risk yourself like that, Naruto," Tsunade stated with a stern gaze. "If Kabuto suspects you, then things could go south real fast."

"Not to mention that Orochimaru could follow Kabuto to try and get some info on Sasori. You'd be stuck with two enemy shinobi that are both over A-Rank in skill easily," Jiraiya added.

"And yet you fail to see that no one else would be able to pull it off. No one knows Shishō like I do, so they wouldn't be able to play the part if Kabuto starts asking questions to have the actor prove that they're Shishō," Naruto countered. "I'm the best suited for this and you all know it."

The Godaime sighed tiredly at the truth in his argument. With the little amount of time they have, no one would be able to learn enough to act like Sasori perfectly where as Naruto spent five years with the man. _'I still need to get the details of his time with Sasori,'_ she thought before she nodded. "Alright, you'll pose as Sasori, Naruto. However, I want Team 7 to accompany you along with Sasuke's replacement and your new assistant teacher."

Raising a brow, Naruto asked, "Who replaced Sasuke and why do we need another teacher?"

"You'll meet Sasuke's replacement soon. As for the other teacher; he's a member of the ANBU and wields my grandfather's bloodline."

"A Mokuton user, huh?" mused the blonde thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to have chosen him because of the Kyuubi residing in me, would you?" She met his stare with a straight face which made him shrug uncaringly. "I don't see what you're so worried about since the fox doesn't even bother me all that much other than give insight on situations. Fox Face and I have come to an understanding of sorts, so we mutually help one another."

That surprised the others, especially Jiraiya. "You made a deal…with the Kyuubi?"

"Of course… Why wouldn't I when we're both stuck with each other for the rest of our lives? If you're curious about the deal, then it was basically giving the fox access to my senses and allowing it more open space in the seal in exchange for it helping me every now and then. So far, I've only used its power three times; once during the day of the Chunin Exams and the Suna/Oto Invasion, once against Sasuke to counter his Curse Mark and keep myself from using my puppets, and once against Jiraiya when I found out he was meant to be my godfather. You suspected that it was because you screwed with the seal, but that only allowed the fox access to my deeper memories and thoughts."

"You almost killed me that day!" Jiraiya yelled, making Naruto glare at him.

"And you nearly left me to my life as a martyr if we hadn't met by chance during the month of training for the Finals. You never once checked up on me, so I think I deserved to vent my anger on you."

"Enough!" Tsunade yelled, stopping them from arguing further. "What's done is done! Let's focus on preparing for this mission! Naruto, are you sure you could convince Kabuto to give us the information we need?"

"I can guarantee it," he answered without a shred of doubt.

"Alright then. You and the others will leave in two days for the Tenchi Bridge. Until then, I expect you to get ready."

"Of course," replied the Uzumaki before he left the office.

"This is a big gamble that you're taking, hime," Jiraiya warned the Senju. "And you know how you are with gambling…"

"You don't have to remind me… I just hope the brat will be okay."

"You two should really have more faith in Naruto-kun," admonished Shizune with a slight narrowing of her eyes. "When has he ever let you or anyone else down? Even if what we thought we knew of him was mostly lies, he's still performed to the best of his ability and proved many people wrong time and time again." She then turned her gaze to the door and gave a soft smile. "He'll be fine; I'm sure of it."

The two Sannin kept looking at Shizune in slight surprise at how she defended Naruto so much. Jiraiya eventually waved it off as her worrying about him and putting on a brave front, but Tsunade had other thoughts. She remembered that Shizune left after Naruto yesterday when he yelled at Tsunade in her office, how she seemed out of it when she returned, and how she said that whatever was conflicting her was personal with a slight blush.

_'__She couldn't possibly see the brat _that_ way…can she?'_ she mentally asked herself before she added, _'I better keep an eye on her. I don't mind her seeing Naruto in that light, but I need to see if it will impede her during her duties.'_

Inside Tenten's forge, Naruto slaved away at restoring his Master's old puppet suit and modifying it. Kabuto would be but the first of many spies he would visit and/or replace. After all, it wouldn't due to have conflicting interests between him and Sasori's old followers.

_'__Fist Kabuto at the Tenchi Bridge…then I make my way to Kumo and pay a little visit.'_

(End Chapter)

There we are; chapter 2! Hopefully it came out well enough for you guys!

Now remember, I have a new poll posted so please vote! Please note that all of the girls on the list – even Konan who will be replaced – play an important role in this story! So just because they won't be with Naruto doesn't mean that they will be forgotten! ^_^

Next Time: The Tenchi Bridge confrontation! Stay Tuned!

pain17ification


	3. Chapter 3

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "The Secret Apprentice"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own anything except for the story idea

Okay, the final result of Naruto's 3-girl harem is: Shizune, Samui, and Ryūzetsu! All of the others girls on the list are important to the story, and also I plan to add three girls from a different series into this story; but I will not say who!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"****Bijuu/Techniques"**

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 3: Setting Motions

Tenten yawned loudly as she entered the forge under her flat apartment. She was dressed in nothing more than a very large shirt that reached her knees while her usual buns were left free and messy.

"Morning," she greeted while yawning as she saw Naruto still hard at work with Sasori's two puppet forms. She took a look from over his shoulder as he worked meticulously on placing seals on certain parts of the puppets, making her frown in confusion at their meaning. She soon shrugged it off and let her still waking mind focus on preparing her "wake-up elixir": coffee.

"I take it that you slept well?" asked the blonde as he set one part down and picked up another. He was dressed in nothing but worn out brown pants and boots while a rag was tied around his forehead for the sweat.

"Like a log," she answered as she finished making her coffee and sighed contently at the smell. She took a quick sip before she asked, "How much more do you have to do?"

"Not much," he replied as he began connecting pieces together. "I just need to fix the modification I placed on Shishō's puppet body and then I'll be done."

"Good… You're starting to stink like a week old sweat rag," she complained as she pinched her nose.

He mock laughed and gave her a pointed look. "You're hilarious, Tenten; a _real_ comedian."

She merely stuck her tongue and gave him a victory sign before she went back up with a stretch of her arms. "I'll be back down in a bit."

He rolled his eyes at that and focused on his work. The chest cavity that held his old Master's "heart" was now replaced with a large barrel littered with fire element and wind element seals. He just needed a "key" seal to connect them all.

**"****I must admit, your Master taught you very well over the years,"** voiced the Kyuubi from within the seal.

_'__Of course… He was unrivaled in his skills with this intricate art.'_

**"****Well, I'm just glad that he helped you become a container strong enough to keep the both of us alive; even if you had to act the fool for so many years."**

_'__It was necessary, and you know it Kyuubi.'_

**"****I know that, but that doesn't mean that I don't find the act sickening. Seeing you act all chummy with everyone made me want to hurl."**

The blonde chuckled at that and finished with the seal before he connected the puppets back together and sealed them. _'Tell you what, fox; I'll be sure to never act like that for as long as I live so long as you stop complaining about it. Deal?'_

**"****Deal!"** immediately agreed the fox.

_'__Good; now I'm going to look for better clothes. That jumpsuit is just not tactical; although I still am a sucker for the orange.'_

The fox scoffed at that and decided to go to sleep while Naruto quickly wiped off any dirt, sweat, or soot before putting on his orange pants and black shirt. Once he was relatively dressed, he made his way to the shinobi emporium.

Along the way, he took occasional glances at the village that he lived in and the citizens he shared space with. As usual, he saw many villagers giving him distasteful looks while others ignored him and very few smiled at him or nodded. He sighed and shook his head at their stubbornness as he entered the emporium and took a look around the clothes.

"Naruto? Is that you?" asked a female voice that made him want to groan while the fox snickered.

Sighing again – he'd have to remember to see someone for that – he turned and saw that it was Ino who noticed him. _'Great; just perfect… The fashionista kunoichi has spotted me in a clothing store.'_

"I knew it was you when I saw those orange pants!" she grinned. "Finally getting a new wardrobe?"

"Well, this _is_ a clothing store after all," he retorted with a dull tone.

"Geez, Forehead wasn't kidding when she said you changed."

"Not _changed_; stopped _acting_," he corrected.

"Yea yea, whatever," she said dismissively before she grabbed him by the arm and began her "mission" of getting the Uzumaki a new look. Said Uzumaki just sighed once again and let her do her thing.

_'__Seriously though, I __**really**__ need to see someone about my sighing issue.'_

After some time, she finally found him a decent outfit, but he had the seamstress make some additions to it. Starting from the feet up, he wore dark gray boots and black cargo pants that had their bottoms tucked into the boots, making them have a slight ballooning effect. He wore a midnight purple short sleeved shirt underneath a black short sleeved coat that reached the backs of his knees that was held closed by a gray belt that had two pouches on the left side. Over the shirt was the necklace that Tsunade gave him from their bet long ago. His additions for the seamstress were markings over the heart of his coat as well as the back of it. The first marking was the kanji for "Scorpion" in orange while the back of the coat had the Uzumaki Swirl on it. His headband had also been moved from his forehead to his neck. (1)

"Not bad, if I do say so myself," Ino praised with a grin. _'He actually looks kinda hot in that,'_ she added mentally.

Naruto merely nodded at the outfit, asked the seamstress to make a few more copies, and then paid her for her services. As he made his way out of the store, he called back, "Thanks for the help, Ino."

"No problem, Uzumaki!" she called back with a pleased smile.

Naruto put his hands in his coat pockets as he walked towards the Hokage Tower to let Tsunade know that he had finished preparing. The meeting at the Tenchi Bridge was in a few days and the latest he and the others could leave was the following morning.

When he made it to the office, he ignored everyone until he reached Tsunade's door. Across the floor from it was Shizune's work station and she looked up from her work to give the blonde a smile in greeting while hiding the small blush she had at seeing his new look.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun. I like your new clothes," she greeted while Tonton oinked in her own greeting.

"Thanks… Ino helped me pick them out; although she practically dragged me all around the store," he said with an annoyed look as he remembered the event.

Shizune chuckled behind her hand, and then erupted into a fit of giggles when she noticed the Uzumaki's brow twitch in annoyance. "I'm sure she only meant to help you. Now, Tsunade should be working on some more paperwork, so you can go in to see her."

He nodded and knocked on the Godaime's door, remembering how his foolish self would always burst in and get conked in the head by any random object as a result. "Come in," called out the blonde Senju, prompting the Uzumaki to open the door and step inside. "Naruto," she greeted before asking, "I take it you're finished?"

"Preparations are complete, Tsunade. I'm ready for the Tenchi Bridge."

She nodded, pleased at his timing. "Excellent… And just in time too; Kakashi and Sakura were told to meet at your old training grounds in about half an hour with your additional team members."

"I see… Then I will meet them there," stated the younger blonde before he made his way out the door. As he made his way past Shizune, she gave him a kind smile and a wave, which he returned with a faint smirk. Tsunade witnessed the whole thing, and she hid her own smirk at the sight of her first apprentice and her apparent closeness to the Uzumaki.

_'__Well well Shizune, I didn't know you liked them younger,'_ she mentally commented and her grin grew when Shizune looked at her.

The brunette grew slightly nervous at the grin and asked, "Is everything alright, Tsunade-sama?"

"Oh, everything is _fine_, Shizune," she answered with her grin still in place. "I'm just glad that you and the gaki seem to be so…_close_."

Shizune had a slight dusting of pink on her cheeks at her superior's wording before she cleared her throat and began to resume her paperwork in hopes of warding off the busty Kage. "I assure you, Naruto-kun and I are like siblings, Shishō. What you saw was just me saying goodbye."

"Uh-huh… _Sure_ it was." She still had her grin as she went back to her own paperwork, but she still added, "Keep telling yourself that, Shizune."

The blush that Shizune had just fought down returned with a vengeance at those words.

[Training Field 7 (Half an Hour Later)]

Naruto couldn't help but raise a brow as he looked over the two newest members of Team Kakashi. The first was a pale looking teen wearing ANBU like clothes that exposed his abs and lower back areas. In his hand was an ink scroll while the smile he gave was _beyond_ fake.

_'__Even __**my**__ smiles weren't as obvious; and those were annoying to keep up.'_

The other member was a man that was Kakashi's height with short brown hair and black pupil-less eyes. He wore the standard Jonin gear and his headband was similar in style to that of the Nidaime Hokage.

"So…we have a boy who clearly needs to get more sunlight and have a word with a sex councilor and a man who seems to admire Nidaime-sama… Interesting," commented the blonde as he leaned against a tree. "Well, now that we've met, what exactly do we do now?"

Kakashi eye smiled and said, "Well, I believe that we should have some teamwork drills to see how well you and Sakura will work with someone you don't know; not to mention how your _true_ fighting style works with others."

Naruto hummed in agreement before he unsealed the Forsaken King and had it stand in front of him defensively. "Against you and Yamato-san, I assume?" he asked.

"Correct! Now, be sure to give Sai a chance to work with you both, or else he may get lost on what to do."

At this, the Uzumaki rolled his eyes and disappeared in a swirl of red leaves while his puppet stayed put. Sakura frowned at his tactic while Sai looked on with an analytic eye. Kakashi and Yamato took this time to hide in the foliage while Sakura and Sai moved closer together to lower the areas of vulnerability.

The pinkette looked at the puppet and frowned. "How exactly is leaving us with a wooden man helpful, Naruto?" she asked aloud.

She was thoroughly surprised when a seal with the kanji for "eyes", "mouth", and "ears" appeared on the blank "face" of the Forsaken King. Naruto's voice came forth from the puppet, "Just because I'm not there physically doesn't mean that I'm not _there_. While the King will stay with you, I'll search for our opponents."

Sakura still held her frown while Sai opened his scroll and painted four images of lions on it before he placed it flat on the ground and held up a handseal. "**Chōjū Giga** (Super Beast Imitation Drawing)!" he declared as the lions sprang from the scroll and became three dimensional. With nothing said, they split up and ran into the forest in search of the Jonin. "It'd be best for the sake of this exercise if we all helped in the search."

Sakura sighed and nodded as she and Sai leapt into the trees with the King directly behind them. They kept up their search for about five minutes before the puppet stiffened and it whipped its cape as Naruto's voice cried out, "**Hari Jigoku **(Needle Hell)!" The fur trim of the cape gained a metallic sheen as it hardened and released a wave of sharp senbon needles at one of the trees, forcing Yamato to jump out of the way.

However, the Jonin was caught unaware when Naruto suddenly jumped out of his own tree and dropkicked him in the chest, sending him toward Sakura who grinned and readied a chakra fist.

"Shannaro!" she yelled as she punched at the man who barely escaped thanks to a well timed **Kawarimi** (Replacement). "Damn!" she cursed before she felt her body get yanked back against her will just in time to avoid two hands hoping to ensnare her ankles from underground.

She looked behind her and saw Naruto pulling her body with some chakra strings, and she nodded in thanks. He nodded back as Sai's lions came out of the bushes and charged at the two Jonin. Kakashi erupted from the ground and kicked one, making it explode into ink while Yamato formed his right hand into a wooden mallet and smashed two in one swing.

The last lion leapt high into the air and made to pounce on the Jonin, and they both threw shuriken to dispel it. When they turned back to their students, they saw the King rushing at them with its battle axe at the ready.

Naruto meanwhile unsealed another puppet that stood between him and Sakura. This one took the form of a lion made of pure white wood that had fierce yellow eyes, a mane made of what Sakura saw as hundreds of senbon, and teeth and claws made of the blades of kunai knives.

"Shirajishi (White Lion), assist your forsaken ruler," he ordered as his chakra strings made the lions body tense and come to life. Commanding the beast puppet forward, it rushed toward the battle while Sakura and Sai took to the treetops.

Kakashi had just used a kunai enhanced with lightning chakra to block another swing of the King's axe, but he was forced to leap over Shirajishi's bounding charge lest he be torn into by its claws. This gave the King the chance to jump and strike the silverette Jonin with a roundhouse kick.

Kakashi grunted in pain as both the foot of the puppet and its sharp cape hit his chest. While Yamato made to help out his fellow Jonin, he was forced to jump to the side to avoid some ink snakes that almost struck him with their fangs. Sakura followed up with a dive bombing kick that left a small crater in the spot the Mokuton user quickly moved away from.

He made to retaliate, but his body froze in place and his eyes widened in surprise. "About time it worked," stated Naruto with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. "When I kicked you earlier, I had a senbon tipped with a paralyzing agent strapped to the edge of my boot. You barely felt it prick you since the blunt force of my kick proved more noticeable." He then turned to Kakashi and saw him shaking his head repeatedly as if trying to break out of a daze. "As for Kakashi, he was hit with a mind numbing poison that makes his vision and other senses weakened for a short time."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, never thinking that Naruto would ever plan so far ahead; but then her mind reminded her that _this_ Naruto was not the orange wearing fool that she grew to enjoy the company of. This Naruto was a trained shinobi who wouldn't hesitate to get the job done.

"Well done, you three," Yamato complimented while Kakashi started to regain focus. "You all seem to work pretty well together."

The three nodded and the Mokuton user told them to get some rest and prepare for the journey tomorrow. Sakura then went home while Sai went back to his guardian for the majority of his life (Danzo) and the Jonin went to report to Tsunade.

As for Naruto, he made his way to the top of the Hokage monument and just sat there as the sun set for the day. He sighed at the orange glow, reminded of his birth parents due to the reds and yellows mixed in with the orange. "Kaa-chan…how would you feel about the life I've lived; about the path I walk? Would you accept me…or would you fear and despise me?"

**"****Idiot… Of course she'd accept you; the woman took a strike from my CLAW to save you! She and your birth father loved you so much that they literally died for you."**

He sighed again – _'Seriously, I __**really**__ need to see someone about that.'_ – and replied, _'I still can't help but think about the "what ifs" of my life."_

**"****Still the fool… Don't you remember what Sasori told you about that?"**

Naruto looked up to the sky and muttered, "People can waste their lives thinking about 'what' and 'how', but it would just be a wasted existence. Instead of focusing on what _could've_ been, focus on what _will_ happen and what _is_ happening."

**"****Exactly! So stop your damn moping and focus on what you plan to do for tomorrow!"**

Naruto mentally nodded and pulled out a white scroll that had the kanji for "Orange" on it. While at first confusing to someone who could've taken his possessions, the title was actually meant to mislead any would-be thieves to what really lied inside the scroll.

Opening it up, he looked at its contents which were revealed to be a long list of names with a small photo next to them all; save for one, but that was only because she wouldn't sit still for the damned thing.

**"****Who's first on your list?"**

_'__Two people actually… Samui and Mabui,'_ answered the blonde. _'They're the first ones who will "wake up" and remember me.'_

**"****I have to say, you truly took after your Master to go so far as using his tactics for spies. Those people have no idea they work for you until the serum you gave them wears off and they remember everything about you."**

_'__And just as Sasori's spies stayed loyal to him, mine shall do the same,'_ he finished with a smirk as he rolled the scroll back up and sealed it away in a storage seal found behind his right ear. He then stood up and his smirk grew as he looked down at the village below him. _'It won't be long now…'_

[Two Days Later (near the Tenchi Bridge)]

Naruto and the rest of Team Kakashi crouched behind some foliage as they saw a cloaked figure step up to the middle of the bridge from the other side. Naruto took a short breath to prepare before he unsealed Hiruko Mk. 2 and stepped inside. The puppet head turned to the others and asked in its normally gruff voice, "You all remember the plan, correct?"

They nodded and Kakashi stated, "Just make sure to get the information we need, Naruto; otherwise this mission will just be a wasted effort."

The puppet nodded before it made its way to the bridge. As it stopped before the cloaked figure, said figure greeted, "It's been a long time, Lord Sasori." They then removed their hood and revealed their identity as Kabuto. "About five years, correct?"

"Were you followed…?" asked Naruto from the puppet.

"It's just you and me; and I don't have much time, so please keep it brief."

"Very well then… I'll keep this short. I want information about Uchiha Sasuke, as well as the locations of Orochimaru's hideouts."

"That's not all that possible, seeing as we move to a different every week to avoid being discovered. However, Orochimaru is holed up north of here; as well as Sasuke."

"I see…"

Kabuto stared long and hard at the puppet before a barely noticeable smirk appeared on his face. "Now…I trust you brought the item you promised me? We should get this hand off over quickly; I've spent too much time here as it is. After all, Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate to kill me if he found me speaking to you like this."

"I'm aware of that, and I have what you want," Naruto said as he walked up to the Oto-Nin and barely opened the Akatsuki robe it wore, showing Kabuto his real face. The bespectacled ninja's eyes widened slightly.

"Naruto," he whispered out, making the blonde nod.

"Yes, it's me. Now, I'll make this quick; I'm taking control of Sasori-sama's old spy network and I need a way to leave the group I'm with."

"Why ask for my help when I no longer work for Sasori?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Because I trust you," Naruto answered. "I trusted you enough to allow you to nearly kill me three years ago, and I kept your secret for you as you kept mine. I'm only asking for one last favor, Kabuto, and then I promise never to bother you again."

Kabuto took a sidelong glance behind him and Naruto followed it, both noticing Orochimaru barely trying to "hide". The silver haired man sighed silently and replied, "Alright, but only because I believe you'll go farther than Sasori ever did."

"Thank you… Now, we need to make this believable and have me fall to the river below. From there, I'll ride the current to Kumo and meet my first contacts. I'll even give you a sample of the Raikage's DNA in exchange."

"Deal," Kabuto stated before he readied a **Chakra Mesu** (Chakra Scalpel) and sliced off the head of the puppet, revealing Naruto to the others. The blonde fell into the act and scowled at the man before he leapt out of the puppet and pulled out a kunai. Kabuto smirked and fixed his glasses while saying, "How nice to see you again, Naruto-kun?"

"How did you know it was me?" questioned the blonde.

"Oh, there were little things that only Sasori did when he was in his Hiruko puppet; things you never did." His smirk grew slightly as he asked, "Now, why don't you call out your friends over there?"

The blonde glared at him before he looked back and nodded, prompting the other four to land next to him in crouched positions. "So, we've been found out," Kakashi stated.

"Of course you were. You all should really work on suppressing your chakra better."

Kakashi would've said more, but he was interrupted by a cruel chuckle as Orochimaru stepped onto the bridge. "Well done, Kabuto. It happened just as you predicted."

"I'm pleased to hear your praise, Orochimaru-sama. Now then, shall we take out the trash?"

"Kukuku…" chuckled the snake-like man. "I suppose so…"

Naruto gave a faint nod to Kabuto and the second hand of Orochimaru charge forward while Naruto did the same with chakra strings grabbing the tail of Hiruko. He had them poise the tip of the tail to run the man through, but Kabuto "slipped" through the strike and into Naruto's guard. His eyes widened in mock surprise and Kabuto kicked him with a chakra enhanced roundhouse that sent the blonde over the edge of the bridge. Naruto, still playing the part, made to stretch chakra strings toward the bridge's edge, but Kabuto stopped him by hurling a kunai that dug itself into the blonde's shoulder, making him "lose focus" and fall into the water below, where the heavy current dragged him away.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled in fear as Naruto was swept away. The rest of Team Kakashi, save Sai, looked on in shock as the blonde Uzumaki faded from their view.

"Well, that's one down," Kabuto taunted with a smirk as he fixed his glasses again. On the inside, he thought, _'I kept up my end of the deal, Naruto. You better do the same.'_

Kakashi readied his Sharingan as the other three got into battle stances while their two opponents smirked and held relaxed stances. "You'll pay for that, Kabuto!" roared Kakashi as he and the others charged.

[With Naruto (Ten Miles to Kumo)]

On a shore near a small forest sat Naruto as he dried off his soaked clothes with a small fire. Two fish were also cooking in the fire and he gazed toward the direction of Kumo. A smirk slowly formed on his face as his eyes gleamed dangerously. "Things are being set into motion perfectly," he commented as he held his scroll with the list of names and saw that the names of Samui and Mabui were almost burned away.

Within the seal, the Kyuubi grinned darkly and chuckled ominously. **"Yes… Indeed they are…"**

(End Chapter)

1~ His outfit is the same as Noctis Lucis Caelum, the future main character of Final Fantasy 15

There we are; chapter 3! Hopefully it came out well enough for you guys!

Now remember, the harem list is Shizune, Samui, and Ryūzetsu! Also remember that the other girls have roles; Mabui's being seen in this chapter!

Next Time: The successor of the Red Scorpion pays a visit to Kumo! What will happen?! Stay Tuned!

pain17ification


	4. Chapter 4

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "The Secret Apprentice"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own anything except for the story idea

I wanted to surprise you guys with this, but I figured y'all could help me more if I just told you. In the previous chapter, I mentioned that I was gonna eventually bring in three girls from a different series into this.

The girls are Akitsu, Miya, and Karasuba from the series "Sekirei". Now, I need help in figuring out how they'd interact in the story, so I'm looking for someone out there to volunteer and help me!

*bows* Thank you very much in advance! And now, on to the chapter!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"****Bijuu/Techniques"**

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 4: Reunion in the Clouds

In the hidden village of Kumogakure, civilians and shinobi alike went about their day to day business with the pride of their home in their hearts. The shinobi worked diligently to protect and serve Kumo while the civilians worked hard to supply and deliver much needed goods.

It was this incredible pride in the village that made one Uzumaki Naruto give a real smile, however small it was. This place hadn't changed much from his time here with Sasori so long ago. It was also back then that he made his two first friends.

[Flashback (Naruto age 5)]

It was about two weeks after Sasori had taken Naruto with him on that pouring night in Konoha. The blonde was still dressed in his rag-like clothes and black cloak, but he didn't mind. He finally had someone who gave him a purpose; a reason to keep on living.

He was content enough to not give a care for something as trivial as attire.

"We're almost there," stated the soft voice of his new Master as they reached the top of another hill. Blue eyes looked down and saw clouds covering mountaintops and he looked to the puppet master for an explanation. "Down there is the village of Kumogakure, otherwise known as the Hidden Cloud Village. I have some people I need to speak to and I'll also give you your first real taste for subterfuge."

"Subterfuge, Sasori-sama?" asked Naruto in a calm tone with a hint of confusion.

"It basically means your first lesson on being…sneaky. Come along, Naruto," the redhead commanded as he led the way once again.

Once they got through the gate, passing themselves off as nomads making a stop on their journey, Sasori wasted no time in leading Naruto to a rather unassuming bookstore. Once inside, the redhead merely showed his scorpion tattoo on the back of his left hand and the clerk nodded discreetly before looking to the blonde.

"He'll have to wait out here while we talk. Can't be too careful."

The puppet master gave no facial changes, but his tone was one of slight irritation. "Very well…" His tone became neutral again as he said, "Naruto, go find something to do and meet me at the central market in an hour."

"Hai, Sasori-sama," replied the blonde as he stepped out of the shop.

"Wait," called Sasori calmly, stopping him from opening the door. He stepped up to the boy and handed him two vials of silvery liquid. A week ago, Sasori made a batch of the stuff and added some of Naruto's hairs – which he took from the boy as he slept. "Here's your first task I'm giving you. I want you to find two people to give these to and have them swallow the elixirs inside. Make sure that they are worthy enough in your eyes because there are no second tries."

Naruto slowly took the vials, being extremely careful not to break them. He nodded to his Master and made his way out of the bookstore.

[End Flashback]

He was broken out of his thoughts as he heard the sound of metal clashing against metal along with some cursing from a female. Curious and seeing that it was near where he first met his friends as a child, he made his way there.

Before his eyes when he arrived, there were two women in a deadlock with their swords while a male in his late teens sat against a tree and watched them. The male had short and spiky grey hair, a dark complexion, and black eyes. He wore a standard uniform for a Chunin of Kumo and had what the Uzumaki observed as the stick of a sucker hanging out of his mouth.

One of the women sparring was a redhead with long and spiky hair, a dark complexion – per the average of the residents of Kumo – amber eyes, and a look of determination on her face. Her outfit was the same as the males, only it befitted her status as a kunoichi.

The last person was a blonde woman with a bobbed hairstyle, icy blue eyes, a fair complexion compared to her teammates, and an impressive figure. Her attire was similar, except that her white vest didn't cover her chest due to the size.

The last one he observed brought a smirk to his face. Her form was replaced with the image of a young girl with longer hair, the same icy blue eyes, but a kind smile on her face. The girl extended her hand to him and he heard a faint whisper in the wind of, _"It'd be cool if you told me your name."_

"Samui," muttered the Uzumaki as he leaned against a tree and watched her win the deadlock and send the redhead to the ground.

"I win," she stated calmly as she sheathed her weapon; a tanto as long as her arm.

"Damn it," cursed the other girl as she got to her feet and picked up her katana. "I almost had you that time."

"Perhaps," commented Samui with a hint of a smirk. "It's cool that you think so optimistically even in defeat, Karui."

"What'd you say?!"

The male stood up and was about to try and diffuse the situation before he spotted Naruto. Blue eyes met black and the latter pair blinked once before he saw no sign of the whiskered teen. He blinked again in confusion before he shrugged it off as him seeing things.

However, he overly paranoid mind soon began to go on a wild journey of panicked thoughts that all led to him seeing things.

Samui merely tuned out a ranting Karui as her mind began to feel a little hazy. She gently rubbed her forehead before the haziness became a splitting headache. She wanted to groan in pain, but she never got the chance as the headache was immediately replaced with a memory long forgotten by her.

_"__It'd be cool if you told me your name," she said while smiling and looking down at a sitting blonde boy in a black cloak. He had these markings on his cheeks that made him look like a cat in her eyes._

_"…__I'm Naruto," answered the boy quietly. He looked up to see that her hand was extended to his, offering him some help to stand. He stared at it warily and remained seated._

_The blonde girl noticed his reluctance and lowered her hand before she decided to just sit next to him. When he turned to her with a questioning gaze, she gave him a faint smile and said, "I'm Samui."_

_He nodded once in both understanding and greeting before he returned his gaze to the passing people of the village. She just sat there next to him, smile still in place at the comfortable silence as they people watched._

_It was about ten minutes later that the boy finally asked, "Why are you here?"_

_She frowned slightly at the question and faced him, showing annoyance in her frigid eyes. "Is it wrong just to sit next to someone you've met?"_

_He looked perplexed at the retort and his gaze fell to the ground. "…I don't know," he answered softly. "I've never had any good ex… exp…"_

_"__Experiences?" she asked, seeing him struggle with the word._

_He nodded. "I've never had good experiences with other people… It's okay though." She noticed his eyes become…empty as he smiled to her. "I was told that monsters don't deserve human affection."_

Her eyes widened and she gasped loudly as the vision ended. Karui and Omoi looked to her in concern as she clutched above her chest. They're eyes widened as they saw that hers became misty.

"Naruto," they heard her whisper. The two looked to one another, hoping that one of them knew anyone by that name. Both shook their heads with shrugs to show that they didn't.

Abruptly, Samui turned and made her way back into the streets of Kumo at a brisk pace. He was here! She knew he was!

_'__Where are you?'_ she asked mentally as her eyes darted here and there in hopes of catching him. As she passed a small bookstore, she stopped and looked into the window. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw a mop of spiky hair as golden as the sun atop a teen dressed in dark clothing. She slowly made her way to the door and opened it, making a bell ring.

Both the blonde teen and the elderly store owner turned…and she saw them. The very things that proved that the teen was who she was looking for; whisker marked cheeks and eyes as blue as the ocean. She couldn't keep the small smile from her face as the one last memory resurfaced.

_The boy handed her a small glass vial with a silvery liquid. She took it and gazed at it in confusion before she looked to him._

_"__What is this?"_

_"__It's a…gift," he answered with a small pause as he struggled to find the right word. Throughout their talks, she noticed that he did this a lot. He seemed to have a poor limit of vocabulary. "My Master said to give it to someone."_

_"__Why are you giving it to me?" she asked, thoroughly confused._

_"…__Because you were nice to me, even if I'm just a monster," he answered with a small smile as he stood up and left without another word._

_She watched him leave, confused and sad at his words before she looked to the vial again. Taking one last look at his distant form that became lost in the crowd, she opened the stopper on the vial and drank the liquid._

_As soon as she swallowed it, her eyes flashed blue and a whirlwind of whispers and feelings raged in her mind before her mind went blank._

Unknown to her at that, the elixir was working at making her slowly forget the blonde boy until the time was right. Its secondary function was to make her subconscious thoughts focus on him in the form of a dream. It would help her remain faithful to Naruto when her memory returned.

And it worked perfectly. Every week, she'd have a dream that showed her conversation with Naruto. And each time she had it, she would wonder whether or not it was real, what she could do to help the boy who saw himself as a monster, and why he felt that way.

Subconsciously during her thoughts on the dreams, she would feel a connection to the boy and would crave seeing him once again so that she could get him to smile at least once in happiness and not resignation.

When he gave her a faint smirk with a look of contentment in his azure orbs, she felt satisfied at having a wish fulfilled. "Samui… Good to see you again," he greeted. "Been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has…Naruto," she replied. "You…look so different. You're like a cooler person now."

He chuckled and returned, "And you've become much more beautiful."

Her cheeks had a dusting of pink at his flattery before she stepped up to him and embraced him. He slowly hugged her back, and she enjoyed the warmth she felt in his arms. "I always wondered if what I dreamed was real," she whispered.

"Believe me, I'm real Samui."

When he pulled back from the hug, Samui noticed him turn to the owner and nod. It was returned as the man went into the back room of the shop. Not even two minutes later, he returned with a small scroll in his hands. "The location is on this scroll. Once you take it, the debt's paid."

"Of course," Naruto stated as he took the scroll. "The Scorpion's Debt is fulfilled."

"Right… Now if you don't mind…?" asked the man as he gestured to the door. "No offense, but I hope that I never see you again."

The woman didn't appreciate the man's statement and glared coldly at him before she felt Naruto's hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it gently as he replied, "Same here, old timer."

Once the two left the store, Naruto led her to a random store and discreetly opened the scroll, revealing a map of the village with a big red "X" on one of the buildings. Samui quirked a brow at the location, but she remained silent. The spiky blonde closed the scroll and put it in his coat before he made his way to the Kage Building of Kumo.

"Naruto, where are you going?" she asked in confusion. "The place you're looking for is the other way."

"I know this, Samui. However, I'm going to see another friend I made during my first visit here." He turned to her and smirked, which she realized was his version of a smile. "You just happened to be the first of my two friends I ran into."

"Who else did you meet?"

"You'll see," he said, making her frown slightly at not being given an answer.

"Keeping secrets is not cool, Naruto."

He chuckled and opened the doors to the building, revealing a large lounge area that led to many different hallways of the building. However, who Naruto was looking for was seated at a desk near a set of double doors.

At the desk was a dark-skinned young woman with green eyes. She wore very formal attire consisting of a forest green long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt of the same color, along with a pair of long, thin gold earrings and black high-heeled sandals. She wore her light grey hair pulled back into a bun with two bangs that fell on either side of her face. She was busy sorting a large stack of paperwork into two separate piles, so she didn't look up to see who approached her desk.

"One moment, please," she said as she worked. "I'm nearly finished and then I'll be right with you."

"That's fine," Naruto said with a slowly growing smirk. "You always were like this…Mabui."

The woman stopped and looked to the speaker, curious as to how he knew her name before her eyes locked with his. Like Samui earlier, her mind became hazy and a vision soon came to mind.

_She was seated in the library with at least half a dozen books next to her. She was currently reading up on various floras that could be found throughout Kaminari no Kuni when she heard some books fall and a small yelp of surprise._

_Her green eyes turned to see a boy maybe two years younger than her picking himself out of the pile with a look of slight frustration on his face. He sighed sadly before he began to pick up the books one by one and return them to the shelves. She saw that one of the shelves was too high for him and she stood up to help him._

_As he bent down to pick up another book, she reached for the same one and their hands brushed against one another. He looked up to her and she saw deep blue eyes staring at her in innocent confusion._

_She smiled and began to pick up books as she said, "I thought you could use some help."_

_"…__Thanks," he said softly as he resumed returning the books. Once they were finished, she noticed that he had one tucked in his arm and red the title: Basic Reading for Children._

_She then got a better look at his clothes and saw the state they were in, making her realize that he was an orphan boy. After he thanked her again for the help, she called out to his retreating form, "What's your name?"_

_He turned to her and she saw a wary gaze in his eyes, something she read was slightly common in orphans when dealing with strangers. "…Naruto."_

_She gave him a friendly smile and replied, "My name's Mabui. It's nice to meet you."_

_"…__You too. Thanks again for helping me."_

_As he made to leave again, an idea came to her and she smiled again as she raced to catch him before he left the building._

After she caught him, Mabui had offered to help him read and the two spent a good hour doing so. By the time it was over, the blonde was reading much easier and he thanked her by giving her his last vial. When asked why, he said something similar to Samui:

_"__Because you helped me, even though I'm a monster."_

And like Samui, she drank the elixir and became Naruto's unknowing second spy within Kumo. With her position as secretary to a Kage, she had dirt on practically _everything_ within the village while Samui, being a student of one Jinchuriki and close friends with another, knew quite a bit about the Bijuu containers.

Mabui smiled brightly as her vision and mind cleared before she quickly made her way around her desk and embraced the spiky blonde.

Unknown to her and him, Samui's brows furrowed slightly at the sight and something bubbled in her.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Naruto. It's been so long."

"Yes it has… You're just the same as ever, Mabui; neat, organized, and professional." He chuckled and finished, "It seems that being a secretary suits you very well."

She smiled and covered a small laugh with her hand as she retook her seat. "So, what brings you back to Kumo?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

The third and final thing about the elixir was that, when the memories returned, the drinkers' minds were informed of their roles to the one whose genetic code was mixed into the serum. The role was very simple: being a spy during their time the serum was in effect.

"I'm here to…clean house," answered the Uzumaki as he handed her the scroll he was given. As she read it, he continued, "I'm also here to tell you two that the time has come."

"I see," Mabui commented as she returned the scroll to him.

"How do you plan to accomplish this, Naruto?" asked Samui.

"I have a plan… But first, I need something that only you can get me, Mabui."

"And that is…?"

"Strands of DNA of the Sandaime Raikage…"

(End Chapter)

There we are; chapter 4! Hopefully it came out well enough for you guys!

Remember that I'll need help with Miya, Akitsu, and Karasuba for this, so if you have suggestions please PM me!

Next Time: Naruto's plan is revealed! What will happen?! Stay Tuned!

pain17ification


End file.
